More power is always better ?

Mike Hailwood started his racing career on a world championship winning Mondial 250. Most of us do not have that advantage. The rider adjusts to the bike, and converted road bikes often do everything which is wrong for racing. I think that Mondial 250 was given to Honda when they were developing their race bikes. Stan Hailwood bought a production line full of 6 cylinder Hondas, so Mike could have one.
In the old days, anyone who bought a Manx was almost immediately upgraded. I did not know what a race bike shound do until I rode a 500cc Manx. It can be given more stick everywhere.

I did not know what a race bike shound do until I rode a 500cc Manx. It can be given more stick everywhere.

Click to expand...

A good ones got as much power as a good Bonneville .



THEN , theres Manxes , & theres Manxes .




1961 Senior TT – third-man Tom Phillis (Norton Domiracer), winner Mike Hailwood and runner-up Bob McIntyre, both Manx Norton.

When you consider the Domi was retyred to clear the swing arm , & it'd ' gone " off " ' , a big journal 500 Twin Vs the Custom crank mega manx motor mike motored ,
a 750 ( + ) Domi might make sense . Think Downers 650 Twin was a match for Minters Manx , back then . Or was .

So theres modern things have 5 or 6 speeds , so not as broad a powerband , usually .

As TOURQUE is the ACCELERATIVE FORCE , ' we ' need to Define " Power " .

As an aside , a Godd Six Litre Bentley ( 1936 ) is about as fast as a very good Manx .

Of course , modern things arnt designed for real roads . How about 135 m.p.h. on THAT . and those tyres .

THIS weighs about what a 23 / 2500 Rocket Three does . You CAN get 500 horsepower outoffem , no sweat .
If its POWER you want . ( 3500 Rover . P76 is 4.4 litre . Can got to 5 L )

Anybody got infor on NO torsional Dampner ( pulley ) .

Steve Oszko was our best Victorian rider in the Manx era - early 1960s. His 350 Manx is now owned by his son. It is ex-works and was brought to Australia by Jack Ahearn - it has a 6 speed Schafleitner box. His 500 Manx had 5 speeds. The 500 was sold to the father of the guy who was Wayne Rainey's main opposition. Many people do not seem to understand why those gearboxes make a difference. My Seeley 850 now has 6 speeds - I have never ridden it on a race circuit with that box - the bike did not really need it, but I got silly. If I ever race it again, I will probably tie it in a knot.

I watched Tom Phillis win races at Phillip Island with a 500cc Manx. He was an excellent rider. I think he did a 100 MPH lap on the IOM with the Domiracer, and I doubt it handled as well as a Manx.

Thanks for the photo of Phillis, Hailwood and McIntyre